Sliding mailbox apparatus



Oct. 20, 1953 A. H. KASCHAK 2,656,133

sunmc MAILBOX APPARATUS Filed 4, 1950 1th a IN VEN TOR.

VY KHSCHHK ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1953 SLIDING MAILBOX APPARATUSAnthony H. Kaschak, Bristol, Conn.

Application August 4, 1950, Serial No. 177,619

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and more particularly to mailboxesfor use on rural'delivery routes.

It is common knowledge that R. F. D. mail routes are usually on unpavedroads that are often obstructed along the sides by snow drifts in thewinter, and mud ditches in the spring.

Because of this, the ordinary mail box, fixed on a post at the edge ofthe road, is often inaccessible, both to the mail delivery man leaningfrom his delivery vehicle, and the householder in receiving the mail.

It is accordingly one object of this invention to provide a mail boxhaving a rod fixed thereto which is slida-bly mounted on a fixed supportso that said box may be pulled forward to a position accessible to themail carrier by means of a hook which may be detachably engaged in aneye on said rod, thus facilitating a mail delivery under conditionswhere it would otherwise be the above nature which will allow the mailman the free use of both hands for sorting and distributing andreceiving mail when the box is in the fully extended position.

A further object of the invention is to enable the mail man orhouseholder to return the box to its retracted position by the use of anS-shaped hook without re-engaging the hook in the eye on the slidingrod.

A further object is to provide a visual means of indicating that mailhas been delivered, which may be accomplished by leaving the box in apartly retracted position.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently beembodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the mail box in its fully retractedposition.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mail box in its fully extendedposition.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral illindicates a vertical post mounted in the ground I I,

said post having a pair of spaced apertured upstanding plates I2 and 13secured at the top end thereof. The forward plate I2 is raised slightlyhigher than the rear plate l3, so that a sliding rod M loosely fittedwithin apertures 15 in said plates l2, l3 and attached to a mail box Itwill remain level when pulled forward by a hook 2|. The mail box It isrigidly fastened to the rod H by means of two T-shaped brackets I!having curved ears Ha which are, in turn, secured to the mail box bybolts or other suitable means. The rod I4 has a removable headed stopscrew l8 at its rear end, and a closed eye H! at the forward end. Thestop screw I8 is made removable to permit the rod H to be insertedthrough the apertures l5 of the plates l2 and I3.

Provision is also made of a rod 2| having an S-shaped hook 20 at itsrear end for engaging the eye IQ of the sliding rod H. The front end ofthe rod 2| has a handle 22 for facilitating the gripping of same by theoperator.

Operation When encumbrances, such as snow or mud, are encountered duringthe delivery of mail, it is only necessary for the mail man to drive hisvehicle reasonably close to the mail box, then insert the S-shaped hook20 of the rod 2| in the eye I!) of the rod H, and pull the mail box Hifrom the rear position shown in Fig. 1, to the forward position shown inFig. 2 using the base loop of said hook. The hook 20 may be allowed toremain engaged with eye l9 until mail is inserted into or removed fromthe box IE, which may then easily be returned by the rod 2| to its fullyretracted position (Fig. 1) using the free loop of said hook, or it maybe only partly returned to thereby serve as a signal that the mail hasbeen delivered. Alternately, the mail box may be left at a partiallyextended position so as to be readily accessible by either the maildelivery man or the householder for the duration of the obstruction atthe edge of the road.

One advantage of this invention is that the parts of the attachment maybe sold as a kit ready to be assembled to any standard mail box andsupporting post.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in whichthe invention may 'be embodied, it is to be understood th'at'this formis shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention isnot to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified andembodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes OFFICE 3 3 all the modifications andembodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

said rod is slidably guided, one strip serving as.

an abutment to limit the forward movement oi said stop member, the otherstrip extending above the front strip so as to cause said rod'toremainlevel under the weight of said box when pulled forwardly. a closed eyeon the forward end of said rod, and a manually-operated handle rodhaving an S-shaped hook at its extremity detachably insertable in saideye to facilitate pulling said rod outwardly with respect to said postusing the base loop of said hook and pushing it inwardly with respectthereto using the free loop of said hook. I

ANTHONY H. KASCHAK.

References- Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 661,146 Henry Nov. 6, 1900 839,607 Lanier Dec. 25, 1906898,487 Lanier Sept. 15, 1908 1,037,498 Lanier Sept. 3, 1912 1,368,432.Hahn- Feb. 15, 1921

